Hi,

Have you followed the procedure regarding RSM and TUR before you configure your Tape Library?

I have not. I will research that today. My replacement drive got pushed back another day becuase they did not have a vendor on the left coast that had one and they had to order it from the east coast. Should be here today, but I will research RSM and TUR.

Thanks.

Do you get an error only after you try to write after relabeling.  The error itself shows that NW was not able to write on first file number after label records (2x32KB).  It would be interesting to use same tape on second drive which works and write some data.  If that works, manually mount that tape back to drive with problems and using mt command try to position after label records.

Figured it out.

It is a software bug in Networker 7.6.1. When I downgraded to 7.5 SP 3.2 the tape drive in questions started to magically work again.

Did not make any changes to the hardware drivers on the system or how the software interacts with the tape library. For some reason, \\.\Tape0 worked the whole time even under 7.6.1. However, \\.\Tape1 could label the tape, but as soon as I went to use it, I would get this in the daemon.raw:

38752 1288195895 2 0 0 3172 3168 0 site.removed.for.security nsrd 5 %s %s 2 21 9 \\.\Tape1 49 45 38337 24 %s operation in progress 1 0 5 Eject

69934 1288195895 2 0 0 240 3152 0 site.removed.for.security nsrmmd 84 Cannot set %s block size to %d. Maximum transfer size supported by this system is %d 3 23 9 \\.\Tape1 1 6 131072 1 5 65536

67986 1288195917 2 0 0 4616 4612 0 site.removed.for.security nsrmmgd 50 Unloading volume `%s' from device `%s' to slot %d. 3 22 8 000031L3 21 9 \\.\Tape1 1 2 31

0 1288195924 2 0 0 3172 3168 0 site.removed.for.security nsrd 2 %s 1 0 71 Operation 37 started : Load volume `000019L3', volume id `3938995912'..

67985 1288195945 2 0 0 4616 4612 0 site.removed.for.security nsrmmgd 52 Loading volume `%s' from slot `%d' into device `%s'. 3 22 8 000019L3 1 2 19 21 9 \\.\Tape1

12361 1288195949 2 0 0 3172 3168 0 site.removed.for.security nsrd 27 %s Finished with status: %s 2 0 38 [Jukebox `IBM@3.4.1', operation # 30]. 0 9 succeeded

38752 1288195989 2 0 0 3172 3168 0 site.removed.for.security nsrd 5 %s %s 2 21 9 \\.\Tape1 49 53 38337 24 %s operation in progress 1 0 12 Verify label

69934 1288195989 2 0 0 240 3152 0 site.removed.for.security nsrmmd 84 Cannot set %s block size to %d. Maximum transfer size supported by this system is %d 3 23 9 \\.\Tape1 1 6 131072 1 5 65536

12312 1288195994 2 0 0 3172 3168 0 site.removed.for.security nsrd 12 %s is now %s 2 21 9 \\.\Tape1 0 18 enabled read/write

38752 1288195994 2 0 0 3172 3168 0 site.removed.for.security nsrd 5 %s %s 2 21 9 \\.\Tape1 49 45 38337 24 %s operation in progress 1 0 5 Mount

And I would get these warning in the Event Log on the server and in the Log area of Networker:

Media warning: \\.\Tape1 writing: continuation, The parameter is incorrect

Media emergency: continuation, the parameter is incorrect. , at file 2 record 0

I figured it was software related when full diagnostics of the tape drive turned up nothing and when I swapped the tape drives in the library around, it still affected \\.\Tape1

I downgraded to 7.5.3.2 and relabled a tape and then ran a job and it successfully backed it up. I am now back to backing up my site successfully.

Hopefully EMC can figure out why on the Dell TL4000 with IBM LTO-3 SCSI LVD-SE Tape drives, why one works and the other does not by the next release/Service Pack.

The swap test is ok if you use single HBA for everything

It looks as if issue is on that drive trying to figure out block size to use.  This is something that has changed in 7.6SP1 so I wonder if this has any effect (I believe it is present in 7.5SP3, but I didn't see any issues so far).  You should open a case with EMC to get this investigated (by just posting it here and hoping it will be picked by engineer is dream).

Already ahead of you. I opened a case with EMC when I started having the problem, and when none of the engineer's could figure it out, I decided to go to those who may actually know what is wrong...the community.

I have not had any issues with the backups running 7.5.3.2. I finally got two full backups of my site done during the weekend, so I have not seen the issue in 7.5 SP3.2.

I put in my notes with the case everything I have found and everything I have reported to the community. Hopefully this is enough information to fix what ever is broken with 7.6.1 I really liked the interface and being able to see my entire backup status and site status from one screen was extremly nice, would like to go back to that as soon as the next release works.

So what is the bug id they gave you? 

Good afternoon Luke.  I was wondering if you have a Bug ID for this issue.  I just finished upgrading to version 7.6.1 at all three of my sites.  Two of the sites are functioning perfectly, but the third site is exhibiting the same issues that you describe in your original post.  I was hoping I could pass on the ID number to the engineer that I am working with.  Thanks in advance.

Josh Vooris

They told me they were going to give me a bug ID, but never did. I was asked a couple times about a bug ID and I asked my engineer for one and he never gave me one.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Thanks anyway for replying so quickly.  I downgraded my problem site to 7.5.3.2 and backups are writing to tape again.  I guess I'll wait for a while before I attempt to go to 7.6.1 at this site again.

Josh Vooris